There is a lot of gray area between elite schools and diploma mills. There
are many small colleges in Ohio and I wouldn't describe any of them as
"diploma mills." Indeed, the state universities are "open enrollment"
(anyone can get in) and small colleges are not (many are considered
"selective" schools, as is Bluffton). Thus, in general, the students we
matriculate at Bluffton are capable of being good students if they would
choose to do so... and many do. But many students do not choose to apply
themselves, and many of them don't graduate. Please note that by saying
"capable students" and by saying we are a "selective school," I am referring
to a student's HS GPA, HS class rank, and ACT scores. It has certainly
become questionable whether the HS GPA and class rank mean anything, and we're
not sure about the ACT scores either.
But... let's assume our students are capable, and let's assume that when
they aren't succeeding it's because they aren't working. I think these are
reasonable assumptions even though it is clear some students are not as good
at math, science, and writing as their HS records would indicate. That just
means they will have to work harder in college. That's the problem. They
aren't used to working.
Small colleges are tuition driven We need to keep students if we can.
Bluffton faculty most definitely are not told to falsify grades, or give
extra credit, or water down courses, etc. But we are indeed prodded to find
ways to get students to work at their ability. That's not easy. I am ready
to declare we need to make it clear that if students don't meet our
expectations then they will flunk out. I think this is the only thing that
has a chance of working. Unfortunately this is difficult because: (1)
students don't think we mean it, (2) students aren't used to it, (3) we'll
probably have to prove it to them by reversing the grade inflation that has
already crept in, and indeed by following through and flunking some
students... and... (4) some faculty find this very difficult to do.
I am hopeful that if we make it clear to students that 2 hours of legitimate
work outside of class for every hour in class is the amount of time it takes
"an average student to earn an average grade of C" in the course, then we
might begin to reverse the trend. I put part of that phrase in quotations
because I lifted it out of the Ohio Revised Code. It's written into law in
Ohio (and many other states). The problem is that many teachers aren't
holding students to it.
I just turned in grades. In a class of 11 sophomores I had one E, one D and
3 D+. That means 5 of 11 students in this class have to take the class over
again, or change their majors. All 5 could have been B students. The E
student had multiple cases of flagrant plagiarism on lab reports, and has
been suspended from college. The D student had milder cases of plagiarism
and received a zero on two lab reports, but otherwise had C grades. The D+
students handed in all or most lab reports late (and got grade penalties
because of that) and they admit they did not work problems, and they got C
and D grades on exams.
I worked with all these students all semester trying to get them to do
problems, get reports turned in on time, and trying to get them to write
reports in their own words rather than cutting/pasting. They just wouldn't
do it. The most frequent question asked of me was... "can you give me some
extra-credit assignments to bring up my grade." They all said that in their
HS experiences extra-credit assignments were freely given, and the
extra-credit assignments were significantly easier than the regular
assignments, and that's how they got through. I have never (in 32 years)
given any "extra credit assignments" to anyone.
Because only 6 of 11 students got high enough grades to go on to the next
course, the next course will have an enrollment of 6 students rather than
the 11 it could have had. The course will be taught with this low
enrollment, but the administration is not happy.
I'll end on a happier note. This past weekend was commencement weekend, and
we have a "homecoming" event associated with graduation weekend. A 1980
graduate was back for her 30-year reunion. She asked if I remembered the
day I called her into my office and said, "You are lazy and not working up
to your potential. You should either get your butt in gear or change your
major or drop out of school because you are just wasting your time, my time,
and your parents' money." Yes, I remember it well. I wasn't sure whether I
pushed her over the edge or not. She decided to show me she could do it,
and she graduated with honors. She told me she went on to earn a PhD in
soil science, and for the past 23 years she has been all around the world as
an agricultural soil consultant in developing countries, especially Africa
and also Cambodia. She then said, "Thank you for turning me around."
Being tough might not always work, but it often does. I think it's our best
shot.
Michael D. Edmiston, Ph.D.
Professor of Chemistry and Physics
Bluffton University
1 University Drive
Bluffton, OH 45817
419.358.3270
edmiston@bluffton.edu